Is 2010s Tumblr So Back Right Now??
While I myself am still an avid Tumblr user, I don't think it’s controversial to say that we’re past its heyday. No, rather, I think that in most internet-aware minds, the early-mid 2010’s was where Tumblr had its peak.
Specifically in fandom spaces, Tumblr was the place to be, even bleeding over to other social media sites. My own Tumblr usage started on Pinterest, where people would — and still do — repost screenshots of their favourite posts, allowing those of us with limited social media access to still partake in fandom.
Currently, though, it seems that 2010s Tumblr is lowkey thriving at the moment? Or put a bit more plainly, just about everything that made up the backbone of peak fandom Tumblr has had a moment of vindication in the past few years.
Take for example the most recent developments: YouTuber shipping. It's been just over two months since Dan Howell and Phil Lester — ship name Phan — revealed that actually, yes, we were right the whole time, and they’ve been secretly dating since 2009! The 45 minute video announcement covered a lot and is definitely worth the watch, but it specifically discusses the invasive speculation of their love life that was the bread and butter of Tumblr back in the day, when the Phandom ruled the site.
On a lesser level, Tronner — the ship name of Troy Sivan (yes, that Troye Sivan) and fellow YouTuber, Connor Franta — was also revealed to have been real back in the day, with Connor making a video addressing the relationship. The title of the video even referenced the name of one of Troye’s early songs, presumably about him.
Over on the music side of fandom Tumblr, the emo trinity of Panic! At The Disco, Fall Out Boy, and My Chemical Romance were all the rage back in the day. In early 2013, Panic! had just re-gained a third member after condensing down to two in 2009 from their original four members; Fall Out Boy had just gotten back together after a four year hiatus; and a month later MCR announced they were breaking up. So needless to say it was a turbulent time for the emos.
But now? They’re lowkey thriving… Panic! — now whittled down to just Brendon Urie and some touring instrumentalists — just played the 2025 When We Were Young Festival, Fall Out Boy have been making consistent appearances at music festivals around the world, and My Chemical Romance (who reunited in 2019) are on one of the craziest tours I’ve ever seen. This tour is a celebration of their 2006 album The Black Parade, and includes an entire fake language, weekly executions, a puppet child, and an exploding clown! The tour is scheduled to continue until late 2026, concluding on the exact 20th anniversary of the album.
Finally, moving into the fictional world where things are more bittersweet. Superwholock — the crossover in fandoms between Supernatural, Doctor Who, and BBC’s Sherlock — was the unfortunate introduction to queerbaiting for many, including myself, thanks to the clear romantic undertones between Destiel (Dean and Castiel from Supernatural) and Johnlock (John Watson and Sherlock Holmes from Sherlock) that would be vehemently denied whenever it was brought up around anyone involved in the making of those shows.
In recent years however? Though still disappointed in many ways, the fanbase(s) have been able to claim a few wins over the shows they were obsessed with. Finishing up in 2017, Sherlock ended with Johnlock raising a child together! Sure, the last season was so bad that the fandom mass-hallucinated a secret final episode, but at least there was domestic bliss! Supernatural finished its 15 year run in 2020 by doing something so crazy that it broke the collective mind of Tumblr, such that the date November 5th will go down in infamy. They made Castiel confess his love to Dean, before permanently killing him off less than 30 seconds later never to be spoken of again. On top of all of that, in 2023 Doctor Who brought David Tennant — Tumblr’s favourite Doctor — back to reprise his role for the show’s 60th anniversary! Unfortunately, the three specials were so poorly received that people are still complaining that he ever came back… whoops :/
Overall, whether it’s your OTP being confirmed, a crazy insane tour, or some sub-par TV that kind of breaks your brain, the past few years have been a wild ride for anyone who stole their shoelaces from the President*.
*inside joke, iykyk